Atomic layer etching (ALE) is an etch process for removing a thin layer of material during each cycle of the ALE process. A thickness of the removed layer is typically approximately one to several atoms thick. An etchant species is disposed over a top layer of a surface of a material to be etched. The etchant species bonds with surface atoms of the material to be etched. A charged ion bombardment is then guided to the etchant layer in order to remove the etchant layer and the atoms bonded to the etchant layer. With a controlled beam bombardment in conjunction with the etchant species, a designed atomic scale thickness is removed by each cycle of the ALE process. ALE processes are repeated until a desired amount of material is removed from the material to be etched.